EXPERIENCES AND EXPERIENCES OF NURSING PROFESSIONALS IN PALLIATIVE CARE: COMMUNICATION AND COPING WITH THE DYING PROCESS

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the experiences of a nursing team in assisting patients with palliative care. Method: cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach, carried out in the municipality of Tamboril in Ceará in Primary Health Care and Hospital Care. The study took place from August to September 2023. The final sample included 16 nurses and 21 nursing technicians. The analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics of the data, through frequency distribution tabulated in Excel®, version 2016. The Project received a favorable opinion from the Research Ethics Committee (CEP), under number 6,195,681. Results: it was observed that 13 (82%) of nurses and 17 (81%) of technicians claim to have experience in experiencing the death process. In the second topic, 11 (70%) of nurses and 10 (48%) of technicians reported having the ability to communicate bad news. Regarding the degree of difficulty in communicating to the family about the patient's death, 12 (76%) of nurses and 16 (66%) of technicians stated that it was difficult. Regarding training and training in palliative care, 11 (67%) of nurses and 9 (43%) of technicians state that they received information about palliative care. When asked whether there was training on palliative care in the service they work in, 11 (67%) of nurses and 19 (90%) of technicians said they had not received it. Conclusion: the data presented demonstrate that the nursing team deals with the dying process on a daily basis and has gaps regarding the difficulty of communicating bad news in the continuing education process.